THE BLACK STALLION
US, 1979, 112 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rooney, Kelly Reno, Teri Garr.
Directed by Carroll Ballard.
The Black Stallion is now considered a children's classic. On its release in 1979 it had a tremendous impact for adults and for children. One of the writers was Melissa Mathison, writer of E.T. and of An Indian in the Cupboard (as well as Martin Scorsese's Kundun). The film is based on the novel by Walter Farley. Former cinematographer Carroll Ballard has his debut as director with this film and his director of photography is Francis Ford Coppola regular Caleb Deschanel, who himself went on to direct some films.
Films about horses are perennially popular. One thinks of My Friend Flicka and National Velvet. Kelly Reno is a young boy who rescues a horse from a shipwreck. This provides for many sequences of the horse racing through the desert island, in sunshine and in storm. This spectacular photographing of a horse racing gives the film something of a mythical tone.
Mickey Rooney, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance, appears as the horse's trainer.
The film has all the right ingredients for a horse film with appeal to the widest possible audience. In 1983 there was a sequel, The Black Stallion Returns, popular but with nothing like the impact of the original.
1 . The tradition of animal stories, animal films? Children and animals and their relationship? The family audience, the content and sentiment? The treatment of this story? Its following in the traditional line? The appeal to the family audience, youngsters, boys? The appeal of films about horses?
2. The importance of the colour photography? The impact of the ship sequences, the fire and the sinking of the ship? The contrast with the beauty of the island. the sea and the shore? The photography of the horse - swimming, running, training? The transition to America and the home sequences, training, riding? The underwater photography? The editing, the special effects?
3. Audience interest in animals - the appeal of the animal and its strength. the horse and its relationship to human beings? The horse as large, powerful, wild? Its ability to be tamed? Man's control of the horse? How well were these thews presented here?
4. The themes of this boy and horse story - the credits, Alec's father's story about Bucephalus and Alexander the Great? The emblem of the horse and its being saved? The fire and the saving of the horse, the horse saving Alec? The mutual relationship and saving and taming? The boy growing up. the owning of a horse.. training him and sharing his achievement? Heroism and winning?
5. The impact of the early ship sequences - the Arabs and the horse. Alec and the sugar, the lifejacket? Alec's father and his gambling, sorting out the winnings and giving him the horse, the knife and their importance later? The sudden impact of the explosion, the fire, the panic, Alec and his father? The freeing of the horse? Alec and his falling over? The vivid subjective photography to show the panic of the sinking ship?
6. The sketch of Alec's father - friendship with his son. talking to him, telling him stories? The playing cards and the winnings? His trying to save his son?
7. Comment on the techniques used to portray the vividness of the ship explosion, the panic, not knowing what was happening, people losing contact with one another.. fire, water?
8. The character sketch of Alec - as a little boy, his life on the ship, interest in the horse? The love for his father? His being tired, the explosion, trying to keep contact with his father, freeing the horse? Falling overboard? The horse saving him? His weariness, survival on the island? The echoes of Robinson Crusoe and his surviving - and the black horse being the equivalent of black Friday? Swimming, surviving, the landscapes and the terrain? The fascination of the horse and freeing the ropes? The cobra and the black saving his life? Alec taming the horse, getting on, falling, riding and succeeding? The exhilaration of the success in taming the horse - the special camera effects to communicate this?
9. The encounter with the fisherman, Alec being saved, the saving of the horse? The ending of part one and the quick transition to part two and the changing of the tone of the film to that of America?
10. The transition to the United States - the class sequence and Alec as hero, his friends especially Becky? The black at home? Alec and his mother, the bond between the two, her grief at her husband's death, her joy at having Alec back, puzzle about the horse? Watching Alec and his behaviour - e.g. sleeping outside with the horse?
11. The significance of the black's run through the city - the re-creation of the period of the late '40s? The horse trapped in the city? The reaction of people? The streets, the cars, shops, factories. fields? Alec and his chase? The encounter with Harry and the possibilities that this opened up?
12. Harry and his age, his career, his medals (and Mickey Rooney's photo from National Velvet), his retirement, hopes? The friendship with Alec after their initial clash? Harry's offer for the horse to stay there? Harry's realisation of the power of the black? The running, the timing, the racing? Jim Neville and Alec and Harry listening to him on the radio? The scheme about running the black? The friendship with Snoe - the old black man with his friendship, dignity, advice?
13. The black and his response to Harry, Alec and the training? The runs, the timing, the build-up to the race? The radio publicity? The race itself and Alec going to be weighed, the other jockeys, the difficulties in controlling the horse at the barrier, the race itself and the success?
14. Alec and the change in his return after the trip, his mother and her puzzle, her refusal to allow him to race? Her changing her mind? The training, his fainting, the blisters? The impact of the race itself and the crowd's response? The fulfilment of a dream?
15. The American dream of success? The plausibility of this story? The modern fairy tale? The love and the bond between man and animal, the horse and its strength, the boy and his growing up? The overtones of myth? Achievement? Audiences identifying with this experience of a young boy?
